While Lucita was the main focus of this book, I like the fact that other vampires' actions were detailed as well. For instance, showing how Moncada plotted against his rivals was well done. It was obvious how ruthless and cunning he was based on what he said, which you need to focus on to demonstrate the qualities of a 1,000+ year old vampire who's only salvation from the Beast is his desire for power.

Overall I would recommend this book above all others in this series. If you're a fan of the Lasombra you will take special interest in it; if you're not, you'll enjoy the book for being what it is -- fun to read.


Clan Novel: Lasombra   August 2, 2000
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I must confess; I don't like the Sabbat. I know that there are folks who are partisans for this sect; I know that there are people who love the Sabbat for its anarchy, its bloodthirsty brand of egalitarianism, it's in-your-face carnage and destruction. I'm just not one of them. So it was with a bit of dread that I picked up a copy of Clan Novel: Lasombra. But the most amazing thing happened - because while reading this novel, I found myself warming up to the Sabbat. Because you have to say one thing about the Sabbat, for all their monstrosity and inhuman ferocity, at least they have the Lasombra. The Lasombra have style, poise, and an almost preternatural arrogance about them. The Lasombra are, in one word, cool.

Clan Novel: Lasombra's main protagonist is all about cool. Lucita is her name, the only progeny of an ancient and powerful Lasombra, and she inspires fear in both the Camarilla and the Sabbat alike. For if the vampire Kindred see themselves as predators amongst mortal humans, then Lucita is a killer of killers, an undead assassin possibly without parallel. And Lucita has just accepted a new commission - to kill an Archbishop of the Sabbat.

Archbishops are no slouches either; somewhere between a political title and a military rank, Archbishops are powers in their own right, possessing centuries of experience and a masterly command of their vampiric abilities. And Lucita has her work cut out for her; her target is one of three Archbishops leading a campaign on the eastern coast of the American continent against the Camarilla. Which of the three is Lucita's target is part of the fun of the book, the target deliberately left in the shadows, so to speak, for the reader (and the characters in the novel) to discover.

As part of a 13 book cycle, the war on the American east coast is one of overarching plots across the entire series. Some readers may find it difficult to understand, and some plot points may seem particularly cryptic, especially when they refer to events that take place in other Clan Novels, but don't be discouraged. The novel has its own central storyline that stands by itself and surprisingly, makes the Sabbat palatable, even enjoyable.

For one thing, there is the guilty pleasure of watching Lucita at work, stalking her prey and almost artfully weaving her way through the eastern seaboard with insouciant grace. Through her eyes, we can understand what motivates her behavior and even come to cheer her sheer audacity (Lucita can be forgiven for her innate self-confidence because it's not arrogance if she really is that good). Another even more remarkable thing is that it gives us a view into the Sabbat (who by all rights should degenerate into a mob slavering over each other) and how they can and do function as a political entity in their own right (although the Sabbat give the phrase, "taking a head count" a whole new meaning). And finally, there are the side characters who are, although they are not the main focus, almost steal the novel whenever they grace the page. Some of the more fascinating include the grim and supremely professional hunter-turned-bodyguard Sir Talley, the brusque but oddly compelling Archbishop Polonia of New York, the deliciously devilish Archbishop Vykos of Washington, D.C. and the conniving plotter in the shadows, Cardinal Moncada, whose presence seems to lurk in the background of all the Sabbat's actions. Add to the mix, furious action sequences, engaging political machinations and one or two little twists and you have yourself a jam-packed novel that's just plain fun to read.


And the beat goes on....   June 24, 2000
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

OK. I confess. I'm a Lasombra fan. I read this book first rather than starting at the beginning of the series. I did it for background. OK?

My mistake. I could NOT understand it. There were Lasombra doing Lasombra stuff but I couldn't see the point. I couldn't find any reason to care which archbishop was going to be assasinated, for example. And where were the Courts of Blood and the conflict with the Lasombra antitribu? Then there was this pack that got drafted for a mission and went off into to nowhere....

The problem is that this book really doesn't stand by itself. You have to read the other books in the series to get into it. (You find out what happened to the pack in VENTRUE- an earlier book- and the rivalries between the archbishops were set up in TZIMISCE.)

But as a continuation, it's a good one. After reading it a second time, I found myself frequently going back to it. There's too many good things you may miss if you're constantly scratching your head and wondering "Whozzat? Why's THIS matter? WHY IS VYKOS FEMALE?" due to unfamiliarity with the other books.

There's a good depiction of Cardinal Moncada in his lair. The tension between the two Lasombra archbishops (Polonia who is smart and subtle and Borges who apparently isn't either) is well handled with moments of understated humor. Then there's the bodyguard, Talley, an elder who Moncada gives the thankless job of baby-sitting these two enormous egos (AND Sascha Vykos). The book takes a panoramic, episodic approach to the entire Sabbat campaign rather than focusing much on specific characters. In doing this it also manages to quickly develop real human interest in the descriptions of the Camarilla's efforts at defense- episodes which go by too quickly unless you have the context of the rest of the saga. Then there's the way this book pulls back from the very flaboyant portrayal of the Sabbat in TZIMISCE in favor of a more sober, businesslike atmosphere better suited to the Lasombra.

I do have to say that I just can't get the appeal of the Lasombra assasin, Lucita, who dominates so much of this book. Little is done with her antitribu status or her interest in arcane artifacts. Both are mentioned but not developed. She's just supposed to be obviously cool and lethal, I guess. Still, her action scenes are well constructed and demonstrate what a fun toy obtenebration can be to play with.

Oh yeah.... in this book, you finally learn how they pronounce "Tzimisce". Funny, I just assumed the Tzimisce pronounced it anyway they wanted.....